Car-coupling



(No Model.)

F. G. PETTUS.

, GAR COUPLING. I Patented July 11, 1882.

INVEN E I ATTORNEYS.

PETERS. Hammin -Inn. Washington. n. c.

1 U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK G. PETTUS, OF MASON, TENNESSEE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 261,033, dated July 11,1882.

Application filed November 12, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK G. PEr'rUs, ofMason, in the county of Tipton and State of Tennessee,have invented anew and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is afull, clear,and exact description.

The object of my invention is to facilitate coupling and uncoupling carsrapidly and without danger.

The invention consists in a draw-head provided with two longitudinalrecesses, one of which is provided with a transverse partition, whereasa hook is pivoted in the other, and is adapted to catch on thetransverse portion in the recess of the opposite draw-head. The hookscan be raised by means of a series of pivoted rods reaching to the roofof the cars, or by cords or equivalents reaching to the sides of thecar.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the ends of two cars providedwith my improved coupling device, the draw-heads being shown inlongitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Each draw-head A of a car, B, is provided with a vertical longitudinalrecess, 0, along the right-hand edge, this recess extending to aboutone-half the length of the draw-head. The draw-head is further providedwith alongitudinal vertical recess, D, extending along the left-handedge of the draw-head, and ex tending almost throughout the entirelength of this draw-head. A vertical partition, E, is thus formedbetween the two recesses O and D, and this partition is provided with ahorizontal recess, F, extending inward from the front edge, and adaptedto receive an ordinary coupling-link. This partition is pro vided witha. vertical aperture near its front end, adapted to receive acoupling-pin, G.

The front edge, H, of the recess D is beveled upward and inward, and therear part of the recess is extended entirely through the draw-head, sothat a longitudinal slot, J, will be formed, the ends of which areinclined downward and forward, thus forming an inclined transversepartition, K, in the recess D.

In the recess 0 a hook, L, is pivoted.

To the outer end of the hook'L a rod, M, is pivoted, the opposite end ofwhich is pivoted to the lower end of a rod, N, pivoted to aprojection,O, of the end of the car. The upper end of the rod N reaches to the topof the car, and is guided in a longitudinallyslotted frame or bar, P,projecting from the end of the top of the car.

Cords or equivalents Q are attached to the lower end of the rod N, passthrough staples or loops R on the middle of the end of the .car, andthrough loops-S at the edges of the end of the car.

The operation is as follows: If the cars come in contact, the hook L ofone draw-head slides up the inclined portion K of the recess D of theother draw-head and drops down behind this partition, as shown in Fig.1, whereby the ears are coupled automatically. If the cars are to beuncoupled when at full speed, the brakes must first be applied to causethe ends of the draw-heads to meet, upon which the hooks L are raised bypushing the upper ends of the rods N in the directions indicated by thearrows. In the yards the hooks L can be raised by pulling on the cords Qor equivalent, for by drawing on the cords the lower ends of the rod Nwill be drawn toward the ends of the car, and the hook L will be raised.The cars are thus coupled together firmly, and can be uncoupled andcoupled rapidly and without danger.

A car with an ordinary link-receiving drawhead can be coupled to a carprovided with my improved car-coupling, as the link can be passed intothe recess F and held by the pin Gr.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The drawhead A, provided with the recessesO D, the slot J, the inclined transverse partition K, and the horizontalrecess F in the vertical apertured partition E, which separates therecesses O D, substantially as shown and described, whereby the saidheads are adapt ed to be used either with coupling-hooks or I rod N, andpassing through loops on the end an ordinary eoupling-link,or both,assetforth. of the car, substantially as and for the pur- 2. In acar-coupling, the combination, with pose set forth. the pivotedcoupling-hooks L, of the rod M, 5 pivoted to the said hooks, the rods N,pivoted to the end of the car and to the rod M, and the cords Q,attached to the lower end of the FRANK GURNEY PETIUS. WVitnesses:

J. G. HAMBLER, CHAS. T. BOOKER.

